Quote analysis regarding the American Dream in DOAS

Maile Danilchik 

4/29/17

IB Language and Literature 

“Without a penny to his name, three great universities are begging for him, and from there the sky’s the limit, because it’s not what you do, Ben. It’s who you know and the smile on your face! It’s contacts, Ben, contacts! The whole wealth of Alaska passes over the lunch table at the Commodore Hotel, and that’s the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!” (Miller, 86). 

This quote from Death of A Salesman shows how Willy Loman perceives the American Dream to be. He emphasizes the “rags to riches” idea of how the dream operates. Many people believe that the American Dream is founded on an opportunity for education and quality of life that allows one to be successful and rich in business. Willy talks about his son, Biff, being sought out by “three great universities”, incorporating the idea of education be a launching point for success. However, many people think that you must do something worthy of fulfilling the American Dream, for instance, many immigrants believe that you must work hard in order to be successful in this society. Others think you must be intelligent. Willy, on the other hand, tells Ben that someone needs connections to others and charism in order to be successful in America. Despite the possibility of his son going to a good university, Willy stresses how important “the smile on your face” is to get the opportunities. He also highlights that contacts are important, which we see later when he tries to work with Howard Wagner to obtain more money and he uses his connection to Howard’s father as a claim of worthiness. According to Willy, charisma and personality will lead a man do “end with diamonds on the basis of being liked”, meaning that because someone is likable they will forage more relationships in business, resulting in more connections for the future. 

Word Count (excluding quote): 242

Generational Differences Seen in Death Of A Salesman and Patrick MacAleeman's Article

Maile Danilchik

4/22/18

IB Language and Literature

In Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the reader is exposed to the dynamic of different generations through Willy Loman and his sons, Biff and Happy. Willy wants his sons to take after him, being able to handle different tools and be proficient at skilled labor to the point of harassing Bernard, Biff’s childhood friend, for being “too” studious. However, he is also conflicted when he scolds Biff for working on a farm and wants Biff to be a grownup man while telling him that he is “too young to be talking seriously to girl.”(Miller, 27) In the play, it is seen how Willy is having the struggle that many parents with generational differences from their children are having, with understanding the changing times and wanting their kids to be like them.  

 I think that while Patrick MacAleeman has a point that with the access to the internet that Generation Z has had for all of their lives can cause differences in how people are able to function in society. He claims that they are less “wise” meaning that they do not know as many facts or comport themselves the same way as the generations before them. However, I think that many of the points he raises, such as being extremely active on social media, are very large generalizations for everyone within the generation. Of course, it is impossible to account for everyone’s personal tastes and lives but taking his generalization from one quote “I’d say 95% of my time is spent on the internet” to represent an entire generation is disproportionate and an inaccurate way of portraying an entire group. Additionally, MacAleeman only focuses on one--albeit large--aspect of Generation Z’s life, he does not focus on non-internet related issues as much, such as how politically active this generation is in relation to others.

 I think as someone who leans toward the Generation Z time frame, there is definitely a separation of the era between figures in Death Of A Salesman and what I am used to. For instance, the atmosphere was different, with post-WWII America and a refocusing on national goals from abroad to domestic issues. The dynamic between people, such as Willy and his wife Linda, are seen by me as Willy being a disrespectful husband, but perhaps then it was seen as normal marital conduct. However, I think that being a different generation also helps me analyze the book better through history and being able to connect it with contemporary times without it being too detached. I find that my experience reading books about past generations rather than potential future ones is easier because it allows me to gather insight about our history and how events can affect individuals in similar ways despite a separation in time. 

Word Count: 463

The Significance of Automobile Production during the 1940s in Death of A Salesman

Cars are mentioned frequently in the Death Of A Salesman, where Willy and Linda discuss driving in the first section and the Chevrolet company is also referenced. This is significant to the setting and invoking the spirit of the era. The play is placed in the 1949 post-war America. During the war, the auto industry was focused on supplying troops with the necessary vehicles for war, but afterward, the public was able to gain access to new and improved cars rather than making do with rationed gasoline and more rudimentary models. Companies such as Chevrolet and Ford were in a tight competition to be the first to sell their improved automobiles to the public. The 1964 Ford ended up being the first to be available with a completely new look and updated engines. The postwar period led to a skyrocketing boom in production rates, with 450,000 new manufactured cars off of the assembly line in a year. This added detail of mentioning cars and different automobile companies at the time is important for setting up the time period and the sentiment towards materialism. Willy Loman and Linda are talking about cars at the beginning of the car, with Willy saying, “I was thinking of the Chevy. Nineteen twenty-eight…when I had that red Chevy today…Remarkable. Ts. Remember those days?” This shows a comparison between the industrialization and modernization of the post-WWII United States and the post WWI.  Just this nuanced mentioning of automobiles within the play shows how this epoch is different from others, with new revolutions in capitalism and materialism.

Word Count: 263

Jim Crow Blog Post

Maile Danilchik

1/17/18

IB Language and Literature

Prompt: How and where do you see Jim Crow laws and instances of racial segregation at play in our society?

Even with the elimination of the Jim Crow Laws by the United States Congress in 1965, the stigma and mindset that were imprinted on society still remained. In modern times, we view the Jim Crow Laws and legalized physical racial segregation as a mark on American history that has been left in the past. However, with more educated discussion of race popularized in today’s media, remnants of Jim Crow psyche exist even in contemporary times. For example, the American modelling industry has been under scrutiny for their lack of representation of colored and darker skinned models. Marcia Mitchell, a prominent model from Massachusetts described her own struggles as an African-American woman in a biased business. In an article for Model’s Alliance, and activist group for women in the fashion industry, she said she was denied a modelling job because an agent told her, “We’re not doing black girls right now.” Not only does this show blatant racial discrimination in a business setting but it carries the effect forward. With African-American women being denied job opportunities because of their race, especially in the beauty industry, this lowers the amount of that demographic seen in popular media and culture. Therefore, young African-American women as a whole community are not thoroughly represented as other races. Not only are these actions stopping African-Americans from getting the same jobs as white people, but they also imply that having a dark complexion is not considered beautiful because there are being excluded from frequently circulated media. This is a demonstration of how latent racism from Jim Crow Laws still prevent African-Americans from opportunities and representation in contemporary society.

Word Count: 271

Works Cited:

“The Fashion Industry’s Race Problem: Models Of Color Rarely Get Hired (2013)”, ThinkProgress. https://thinkprogress.org/the-fashion-industrys-race-problem-models-of-color-rarely-get-hired-d00d3ca36b1/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.

Advertising, Happiness, and the End of the World - Blog Post #4

Maile Danilchik

10/21/17

IB Language and Literature

Blog Post #4

Two GAP Advertisements:


Advertising uses a variety of tools and strategies to persuade the viewer to buy a product or to promote the name of a company. Marketing teams utilize images and text as their medium. Many of the print advertisements seen in magazines are predominantly image based with some minimalistic text, this technique allows for the viewer to be drawn in by the image and then read the information about the company. Furthermore, our brains are wired to respond to images more than words on a fundamental level which means that images will spike interest in the audience more than a body of text. In addition, the subject of the image is an important factor of the message,  tone, and ultimately the success of the advertisement. Often times the stylistic choices of advertisements follow certain trends or themes that can be positive or controversial. One of these is how genders are portrayed in advertising. Take, for instance, two GAP ads respectively depicting a young boy who is called a “The Little Scholar” wearing an blue Albert Einstein shirt and a young girl who is labeled as “The Social Butterfly” wearing a shirt with the GAP logo in pink. Separately, they may seem innocuous but together they show a clear categorization of the children into “smart” and “social”. This gender divide is clear with the use of traditionally feminine colors with the girl and masculine colors with the boy. Furthermore, GAP is associating traits that one would related to a scholar such as diligent and intelligent with the boy but not with the girl. When analyzing this further the stereotype that men are more physically and mentally capable than women seems to be an underlying theme. Even if GAP’s intentions were not to promote this belief, their use of it in their advertisement could be a reflection of society and how these controversial stereotypes are normalized.

From this analysis I learned that it is important to take advertisements in context with the company, year, as well as social developments at the time. Through this we can see how advertisements in a series, such as GAP’s, tell a larger story. I also learned that every stylistic device used in advertising is essentially text, which can reveal a theme within an advertisement as well as supplementing the context of the theme. For instance, in the GAP advertisement the pink palette as well as the text indicate, “A girl is a social butterfly, she likes to talk with friends”. Finally, I learned that there is often a deeper or subliminal message underneath the literal message of an advertisement. When analyzing this message we can see how a company creates a tone in an ad and how this can affect the overall reception of the promotion. It is important to not only analyze what is said, but also what is left out. Gender in advertising is a reflection of our societal beliefs but at the same time it can shape society. If we can use advertising that depicts strong, successful, or non-stereotypical women perhaps we could change our societal view that begs the question, “Can we use advertising to change society?”.

FOA #1 -Advertising Reflection

Maile Danilchik

10/16/17

IB Language and Literature

Reflective Statement for Advertising

Advertising is type of propaganda using text, images, and sound to affect an audience's response, thoughts, or actions and is to convince the viewer or listener to buy a product. We come across advertisements daily and even though we may not purchase a product, advertising has a subconscious effect on people. In order to dissect the elements of advertising and commercials, fellow students and I have collaborated on a film and print advertisement for a multipurpose camping called the “WonderBaton”. Our goal was to cultivate our audience’s interest about our product using the commercial and handout as our communication medium.

The message of our advertisement was that the “WonderBaton” is an innovative tool that replaces a bag of camping gear. We developed an Australian survivalist named Gare Bills to narrate and provide a personal testimony. Our target audience were outdoorsmen who wanted to be safe while in the wilderness. Our film only features Bills for the sake of simplicity, so it could be seen as marginalizing whoever was not the same demographic as him. Our advertisement shows the relevance of nature within the region we live in since the Pacific Northwest is generally acknowledged for its diverse ecosystems that many hikers and outdoorsmen like to explore.

Our brand name was created to invoke the feeling of wonderment from using such a versatile tool while “baton” was derived from the fact we used a relay race baton while filming. Our slogan, “Because we all deserve the chance to camp safely”, brought elements of pathos into our product promotion to invoke the feeling of security we desired to associate with our product. Rhetoric such as “highly recommend” used was to emphasize Bills’ endorsement of the product and the company mission. The use of the rhetorical triangle shows that linguistics play a huge role in the sharing of ideas and persuasion.

We utilized film and print since we thought that an audience would engage more with a cinematographic piece rather than another form. It would ideally be aired on shows pertaining to the outdoors such as National Geographic or other channels; our printed advertisement would feature in a magazine like the American Outdoors Magazine. For a soundtrack we chose “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi as it is an iconic song that has adding a rugged feel. I think our advertisement was effective in promoting our product with these elements subconsciously affecting the viewer.

I think the most effective appeals within our pieces was the use of ethos and pathos from the rhetorical triangle. With Bills’ testimony and emotive language, we were able to create a piece that drew the viewer in with both the print and film advertisement. Potential consumers of this product may want to be like Bills with his preparedness or they wished to relate to his persona through the acquisition of this product. The cinematographic qualities of the film as well as the soundtrack were beneficial to creating the type of feeling we wanted within the advertisement.

Word count: 500

Advertising, Happiness, and the End of the World - Blog Post #3

Maile Danilchik

10/8/17

IB Language and Literature

Blog Post #3

First Advertisement: Nike (http://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/35-nike-print-advertisements-that-boosted-the-companys-income/)

Part I:

This advertisement is mainly picture based with minimal and bold text. This simplicity is also seen in how the image of used is edited to pull out dark colors for a contrasting background. Nike placed Adrian Peterson as the focal point of the advertisement. High contrast and intense lighting in this piece give it a very bold appearance that easily draws the eye toward the text, which reads, “Leave nothing”. This is not quoted from Peterson, nor is it Nike’s well known slogan, “Just do it”. In fact what exactly it is referring to, whether it is athleticism or athletic “glory” is unknown. However it is common of Nike to have short, unattached phrases in many of their advertisements to encourage potential clients. The Nike logo is visible next to the text, on his gloves, and the football. This shows that Nike produces several products that a football player or other athletes could use. Below in the lower right corner is the online store: nikefootball.com. In this advertisement Nike opts to sell the brand rather than a particular product. Despite the fact that the logo is on his gloves and the football, the company does not work to draw in people who need gloves or a football, it is for all football players of all levels. Nike also used a non-Caucasian athlete for its advertisement, showing that endorses athletes of different races. However, this ad is directed toward males since it is for Nike’s football line and the NFL is comprised of strictly male players.

Part II: The Rhetorical Triangle

Ethos: Ethos is the reliability of the advertiser and is commonly equated with trust. This advertisement employs ethos as its main theme, with Adrian Peterson as the focus of the piece. This shows ethos through Peterson’s fame in the NFL as well as his reputation as a high caliber athlete. In a way, Nike is suggesting that by purchasing their products you can become a player as successful as Peterson. Another interpretation is that Nike is showing that their brand and products are trusted and used by a pro-athlete so they are the best quality.

Logos: Logos is the use of logic in commercials and advertisements. This ad by Nike does not employ logos as one of their main rhetorical devices, which can be seen with the out of context “Leave nothing”. If this advertisement used logos, it would have said what “nothing” referred to.

Pathos: Pathos is an emotional appeal of a rhetorical piece, which can be used to draw the viewer closer to the advertisement. This piece by Nike does not use as much pathos as ethos but it could be inferred that pathos is used to connect with the audience and their want to be an athlete of Peterson’s level, which is supposedly achievable with the purchase of Nike products.

Part III: I do think this advertisement is affective visually, with the simplistic design and the use of ethos that is characteristic of Nike ads. Although personally I do not have a need for football gear, I could see someone who does finding appeal in this Nike advertisement.

Second Advertisement: Fanta (http://www.adweek.com/creativity/fanta-flavored-print-ad-probably-not-quite-tasty-or-refreshing-fanta-itself-147567/)

Part I:

This Fanta advertisement is simple in design but much more visually busy than the Nike ad. The logo as well as other little graphic designs are used to keep the eye moving with all of the text. The simple and “happy” color palette employs the colors in Fanta’s logo, orange and white. Interestingly, Fanta uses multiple different fonts that could be seen as cluttering the ad yet the plain background allows for the eye to rest while reading. The white text allows for the eyes to rest easier than if the background was white and the text was orange. The advertisement is a short prose about describing a taste or the feeling supposedly associated with drinking Fanta. Seeing the text and the different fonts draws the viewer in to read the entire piece which at the bottom, reads, “Are you still with us?” showing that their advertisement is drawing the audience in to read the entire page. The addition of the graphic designs helps add a visualization with the text, and breaks up different phrases. Their marketing idea was also to use edible paper, which is explained below the main text. Supposedly eating a piece of the advertisement was a way to test out Fanta’s new flavor. Not only is this concept not used very often but it draws more intrigue into the company and the advertisement itself.

Part II:

Logos: Logos is used but concealed with the fun sounding and imaginative language. Fanta suggests that because you feel all of the mentioned descriptions in the text you should buy their products. Why wouldn’t you want to experience the appealing message of the advertisement. It also explains that their method of sharing their new flavor is easy and safe with their edible advertisement.

Ethos: Fanta is a popular brand but they do not use much ethos in this advertisement. Although it could be said they are asking you to trust them and their use of edible paper which some people would be hesitant to do.

Pathos: I think this ad uses pathos through their descriptions they use and relate to consuming their product. The message of this advertisement and use of colors invokes a light-hearted and happy feeling while reading the page.

Part III: I think this advertisement is relatively successful in getting its point across. I think the use of taste as an extra sense in the marketing plan was an interesting concept. The color and different fonts create a welcoming atmosphere and although busy the ad does not look jumbled or overbearing on the eyes.